When Is the Right Time to Consider a Mommy Makeover?

There’s no doubt that pregnancy can be a highly rewarding experience, but many people are bothered by the changes that occur, such as flattened or smaller breasts, loose skin on the stomach, and isolated pockets of resistant fat on certain areas. Even a healthy lifestyle with a good diet and regular exercise may not be enough to address these types of pregnancy-related changes to the body. For that reason, people often consider having plastic surgery to sculpt the body shape they want—and want to know: “How long should I wait to have a Mommy Makeover?” Philadelphia and Main Line-area patients who come to Dr. Kevin Cross and Dr. Jackie Lyons at Cross Medical Group often ask the plastic surgeons this—and other questions about timing—when they’re considering the procedure.

Whether you’ve recently had a baby or recently decided that you’d like to do something about the cosmetic changes having a baby made to your body, here’s what you should know about finding the right time to schedule this surgery.

Having a baby is taxing on your body, so prospective Mommy Makeover patients need to have patience and take enough time to properly heal after they’ve given birth before considering cosmetic surgery. It may seem convenient to be able to have plastic surgery not long after the birth, and you may be excited to get to see the changes surgery can bring, but you will heal better from cosmetic surgery if you’re optimally healthy and fit.

Furthermore, you can achieve the best results from this type of surgery by being close to your ideal weight. If you gained weight throughout your pregnancy, it can be wise to lose some of that weight before you have plastic surgery.

Another thing to consider is whether you’ll be able to rest for several weeks to recover from surgery if you have a young child.

With all of this in mind, we recommend waiting until at least six months after giving birth, but there is no “standard” window of time to wait between having a baby and having cosmetic surgery. It is mostly important to be at a stable weight in order to enjoy the best long-term results.

Finally, since additional pregnancies could reverse your results, it’s advisable to wait until you’ve finished having children to have a Mommy Makeover. A new pregnancy will cause new changes, including weight gain, increased breast volume, and a growing belly—all of which can “undo” the results of prior procedures.

Contact Cross Medical Group for more information about Mommy Makeover surgery and timing. Call us at (215) 561-9100 or submit a contact form to request a consultation.